Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

Lots of shade; lots of water.  Install an automatic waterer.  Miss water one day, and you are out of the chicken business.  Put a lawn sprinkler in the chicken yard on a timer so that it goes off several times a day.


The rains we have had in the last couple of days produced a bounty of grass and weeds.  Chickens love dandy lions, mustard weed and winter grass.  Let them go at it.


Rufus

2nd post of Arizona thread..
Thinking about all the rain we got lately.. last night there was rain & wind's. . Only a few day's left of the monsoon. I think 11 days right?

 

[City farm]

Spoiled brat's you guy's have there..
Light brahmas have featherd feet.. Is he your only cockerel ? He will favor her mostly.. It is hard to keep them pinned up while the others are free ranging.. If you don't have another dude maybe add one.. Slowly.. That might be hard.. They don't always intergrat well.. Once a flock is grown up together, they stay together.. We have single hen's from people. It seems they will always be a single hen, even a year later.. I will probably go to the stock shop and get chicks to put under Cheryl .. Our silkie... She is a single hen and low on the pole.. But boy does she love to raise chicks... I'm thinking I'll let her and give that flock to a family.. Idk.. I guess we will see who has chicks soon..

Oh yeah, super spoiled oh yeah, maybe he IS a light bramah! Here's some better pics

He is my only rooster, I usually just keep girls and eat boys but he's the exception. I've been thinking of keeping a rooster two or three-some at another friends house for breeding only...do you think that would be safe for the hens when breeding time comes? I could bring the rooster to them, and breed only the ones I want in a pen. Of course I'd be right there and remove him as soon as the job was done...It gets interesting trying to farm in backyards
Good luck with your silkie! I just love letting the sweet ones be mothers! I have a BO attempting to set for the first time right now who screams bloody murder when I try to get the eggs...Ginger has always been a problem child lol

My opinion for what it's worth, I think you should work with what you already have. Trying to introduce a new cockerel to a hen could take some time. What if she doesn't like him?Chickens get stressed out from weather, new egg layers, a new hen being introduced. by the time you get they get acquainted with each other the hen might protest being mounted. Whenever we have a new hen that is of age, she's not willing to be mounted @ 1st. Plus it happened so quick that If you blink you'll miss it. you can't be sure if the business got done after one tap. You mentioned you would let them do their business and then take them back home. It seems like 2 much work..You would have to check the egg's for fertility.
Also by introducing a new dude they could start fighting with each other, and you don't want any injury to either of them. If the comb or waddle get's injured it's bloody. Look how beautiful his comb is. I would hate to see any type of mark on him. That is stressful to them as well. .

 

[chicksurreal]

Quote: Lol! Gingers.. What can you do?

She looks like she can handle it. What a sweetie!

 

[generaldsherman]

Lol! Gingers.. What can you do? 

hey! I resemble that remark!

 

[chicksurreal]

hey! I resemble that remark!

Lol!

 

[FeatherPugs]

Lol! Gingers.. What can you do?

She looks like she can handle it. What a sweetie!

hey! I resemble that remark!

Lol!

Funny, funny, funny!!!

BTW I also have a BO named Ginger!! Thanks for the giggle - I needed that!

 

[PhxBirds]

My opinion for what it's worth, I think you should work with what you already have. Trying to introduce a new cockerel to a hen could take some time. What if she doesn't like him?Chickens get stressed out from weather, new egg layers, a new hen being introduced. by the time you get they get acquainted with each other the hen might protest being mounted. Whenever we have a new hen that is of age, she's not willing to be mounted @ 1st. Plus it happened so quick that If you blink you'll miss it. you can't be sure if the business got done after one tap. You mentioned you would let them do their business and then take them back home. It seems like 2 much work..You would have to check the egg's for fertility.
Also by introducing a new dude they could start fighting with each other, and you don't want any injury to either of them. If the comb or waddle get's injured it's bloody. Look how beautiful his comb is. I would hate to see any type of mark on him. That is stressful to them as well. .

What a handsome guy you have there! Thank you for your input, it's always much appreciated!!
I think I will stick with him alone for a while, he is such a pretty and sweet guy and that even has genetic value too.

Lol! Gingers.. What can you do? 

She looks like she can handle it. What a sweetie!

If you ask her, she's got it alllll under control

 

[City farm]

What's a farm girl to do.. I happen to see this post on the SF thread.. What amazing bird's they have.. I put a word out to a friend that hatches a ton of egg's to see if they would hatch some out for me.. They are such beautiful bird's, great layers, amazing sweet personalities.. What more could you ask for really .. Here is some of their bird's... Like I don't already have enough to do.. It's really all Cheryl the silkie's fault.. She is broody and is giving me the "please let me be a mom again EYE" check out this link .. & yes we would get the d'Uccle as well..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/965018/belgian-duccle-lf-faverolles-hatching-eggs#post_15840894

 

[City farm]

My opinion for what it's worth, I think you should work with what you already have. Trying to introduce a new cockerel to a hen could take some time. What if she doesn't like him?Chickens get stressed out from weather, new egg layers, a new hen being introduced. by the time you get they get acquainted with each other the hen might protest being mounted. Whenever we have a new hen that is of age, she's not willing to be mounted @ 1st. Plus it happened so quick that If you blink you'll miss it. you can't be sure if the business got done after one tap. You mentioned you would let them do their business and then take them back home. It seems like 2 much work..You would have to check the egg's for fertility.
Also by introducing a new dude they could start fighting with each other, and you don't want any injury to either of them. If the comb or waddle get's injured it's bloody. Look how beautiful his comb is. I would hate to see any type of mark on him. That is stressful to them as well. .

What a handsome guy you have there! Thank you for your input, it's always much appreciated!!
I think I will stick with him alone for a while, he is such a pretty and sweet guy and that even has genetic value too.

Lol! Gingers.. What can you do? 

She looks like she can handle it. What a sweetie!

If you ask her, she's got it alllll under control

He is a georgous dude.. He went to another member on BYC .. We at that time had a good breeding pair, plus extra cockerels... so off he went. It's only because I have always wanted Salmon Feverolles that he went.. Then a different member had SF.. Off we went to get them.. Yes, a crazy chicken lady.. There I said it..

 

[PhxBirds]

He is a georgous dude.. He went to another member on BYC .. We at that time had a good breeding pair, plus extra cockerels... so off he went. It's only because I have always wanted Salmon Feverolles that he went.. Then a different member had SF.. Off we went to get them.. Yes, a crazy chicken lady.. There I said it..

Us crazy chicken people are the best anyhow